Approval
by CelandineGranger
Summary: Young Donatello seeks to earn his father's approval. Winner in the TMNT Universal Fanfiction Competition: First place for Most In-Character Donatello, and second place for Cutest Chibi. Beautiful cover image by Momorawrr.


Pushing the door of his lab open, Donatello walked out into the main living area, clutching his tenth grade astronomy textbook tightly to his chest. The worn, outdated volume was missing several pages and had been distastefully redecorated with the doodles of bored students, but to the eleven year old turtle, it was a treasure. Master Splinter had found it earlier that week and brought it home to satisfy the insatiable mind of his most brilliant son. Three days later, Donatello had already read the entire thing. Twice.

Now, as he noticed his three brothers sitting idly in the pit, he approached with a smile, eager to share some of his glorious new knowledge.

"Hey, guys, look at this!" he cried, plopping himself on the cushion between Mikey and Leo and opening the book so they could both see. The double page showed a star chart, mapping the path of the constellations and planets across the sky. Or at least it would, if one of the pages hadn't been torn out. In place of the missing page was a sheet of slightly crumpled notebook paper.

"See," said Donatello eagerly, pointing to the paper. "The other half of the star chart was missing, so I used the information in the rest of the book to complete it. I'm not exactly sure that I got all the stars' locations right, but it's at least pretty close."

Leonardo looked at Donnie's completed chart with at least feigned interest while Mikey screwed up his face in concentration as if he were trying to figure out what a star chart even was.

"What are all those weird dots and lines?" asked the youngest turtle. "Oh! Is it a dot-to-dot? I'm good at dot-to-dots!"

"No, Mikey, those are constellations. The dots represent the stars, and the lines are just imaginary lines people put in so you can see the shapes of the constellations easier. See, this one is Canis Major. It's shaped like a dog."

Mikey cocked his head to get a better look at the dog while from a few feet away Raph grunted. "Who cares about a bunch of stupid stars?"

"Stars are _fascinating_ , Raph," Donnie said, shooting Raph a glare. "Did you know there's a constellation called 'Leo'?"

A spark of real interest appeared in Leo's eyes and he looked more closely at the map. "Really?"

Donnie pointed it out. "Yep. It's right here. It's a lion."

Mikey snorted. "Well that doesn't make any sense! It should be a turtle, not a lion!"

Donnie rolled his eyes. "It's a lion because 'Leo' is Latin for - "

"Hey!" Mikey interrupted, "Are there any called 'Michelangelo'?"

"No."

"Well, there should be."

"They were all named centuries and centuries ago, Mikey," said Donnie, flipping through the pages of the book until he reached the section on the history of astronomy. "Oh, and look at this! It's a diagram of Galileo's telescope. I want to make one just like it. I'm sure I could if Sensei can find me the right materials."

"Why on earth would you want to make a telescope?" put in Raph. "You can't see stars in the sewers, Donnie."

Donnie's face fell. "I know. I just thought, maybe someday. . ."

"You can totally build one, bro," stated Mikey encouragingly. "And then you can use it to make a new 'conseltration' and you can name it 'Mikey'. Only make sure it's a turtle this time."

Donnie couldn't help smiling at his little brother. "You can't just make a constellation, Mikey. The stars are already there. They've been there for billions of years. In order for new stars to form, masses of hydrogen gas come together to - " And just like that, the spark of interest was gone. Donnie could see his brothers' eyes glaze over and their attention move quickly onto something else as he launched into a scientific explanation.

He stopped mid-sentence, and when his brothers, now staring at the television, didn't even notice, he dejectedly closed his book and headed for his room. Behind him he could hear the sound of conversation resuming, the subject switching instantly back to the TV show his brothers had been discussing before his arrival.

xxxxx

The next morning, Donatello was the last to arrive for morning training, as he had snuck in a few extra moments of reading before he was required in the dojo. As he took his place in line beside his brothers, he couldn't help feeling a sense of dread.

Donatello had always been the least skilled in his father's beloved art, partly due to a lack of natural athletic talent, and partly for a lack of interest in extra practice. Ninjutsu was important to Donnie, but not as important as science, mechanics, and other areas of study. Since the only people with whom he could compare himself were his brothers, and his ninja master father, he was unaware that his skills were such that he would likely best any martial arts instructor in the city.

Being always a small step behind his brothers in their training had not become a serious problem until recently. At eleven years of age, the four boys, who had always been relatively the same size, began to experience sudden changes. Raph hit puberty first, and he hit it hard. As his muscles bulked up, he used his newfound strength to hit everything else hard, too, including his brothers who were now smaller and weaker than himself. The other three hoped to soon follow suit, but an early growth spurt had suddenly left Donatello head and shoulders above his brothers, with no extra muscle to show for it. He desperately hoped this trend wouldn't continue, but his overly large hands and feet indicated that more growth was yet to come. As Leonardo more slowly and steadily built up his own strength, leaving the late blooming Mikey small and skinny behind, Donnie found great difficulty in adjusting to his new height. With his gangliness came a new and unwanted clumsiness that often had his brothers laughing him out of the dojo.

So it was with trepidation that Donnie knelt before Master Splinter, hoping to God that he wouldn't stumble over his own feet today.

Splinter began pacing in front of them, his hands clasped behind his back, as he gave his instructions. "You have been practicing very hard lately," he began, and Leo grew visibly taller under his father's praise. "So today I will begin teaching you a new series of katas that will be of great use to you in hand to hand combat."

The four turtles watched with varying levels of excitement as their father demonstrated the series of complicated moves. Donnie felt his heart sink when Splinter executed several difficult kicks at the end. This was going to be _hard._

"Leonardo, you will go first."

Leo jumped up in a flash, eager to prove himself. His brothers watched as, under his Sensei's careful instruction, the turtle moved through the katas slowly, but with near perfect form. After a few tries, Splinter was satisfied and called up Raphael, who was less patient and more forceful in his execution, though he still earned a nod of approval from Splinter.

As Raph took his seat, Donnie prepared himself for the inevitable, as he was sure to be called on next. Splinter surprised him, however.

"Michelangelo, come forward."

Mikey looked up, startled, from where he had been playing with a couple of leaves that had fallen from the dojo tree. He obediently rose and approached Splinter, who nodded at him to perform. After a second of hesitation, Mikey began running through some jabs and kicks they had learned several weeks ago. Splinter watched with narrowed eyes for a moment. "Michelangelo!"

The small turtle instantly stilled and looked sheepishly at his father. "Uh, yeah, Sensei?"

"You were not paying attention when I demonstrated the new forms, were you?"

Mikey chuckled appologetically. "Ah, no, I wasn't. Sorry, Sensei. Do you think you could show me again?"

With a sigh, Splinter went through the moves again as his youngest son watched, this time paying close attention.

"Okay, I think I got it," said Michelangelo confidently, and to Donatello's amazement, he imitated the kata with perfect form and speed. He couldn't help adding a "Booyakasha!" to the last kick, before bowing to his Sensei.

Splinter watched him with approval. "Well done, Michelangelo."

"Thanks, Sensei! Hey, now can I show you the kata I'm inventing? It has this part where I spin on my shell. I bet none of the ancient Japanese katas have _that_ move!"

As Splinter told Mikey to save that for another time, Donnie felt a twinge of jealousy. The words "Well done, Michelangelo" kept ringing in his ears. He couldn't remember the last time those words of approval had been directed at himself, but Mikey had treated them like no big deal, responding with a simple "Thanks, Sensei" and then bouncing instantly to another topic. What Donnie wouldn't give for some of Mikey's raw natural talent. The kid barely even had to _try_.

"Donatello."

Donnie's mind was jerked back to the present as he realized his father was addressing him. He rose and prepared to begin, when he was unexpectedly instructed to perform a different kata. He looked to his father, confused.

"But Sensei, that's the one we were practicing last week."

"Yes, Donatello, but you have not quite mastered it. You require a bit more practice before you move on."

The snigger from Raph did not help to quell the burning shame that rose to his face. Sensei wasn't even going to let him _try_? _He knows I'll fail_ , Donatello thought miserably as he performed the required moves less than perfectly, and without enthusiasm. At the end he was rewarded with a simple, "Keep practicing" from his Sensei, a haughty sneer from Raph, and an insufferable look of condescention from Leo. This was going to be a long morning.

xxxxx

Four hours later, Donnie avoided all eye contact with his brothers as he raced out of the dojo and to his room, where he had left his beloved astronomy book. He would bring it to his lab, his sanctuary, where he could lose himself in his non-judgemental books and machines. He was in the middle of building a laptop, or at least trying to, from broken parts Splinter had brought him from the dump. Working on that project would surely help to clear his mind from the humiliation of training.

Snatching the book from his bed, Donnie headed toward his lab. He could hear loud Japanese pop music playing from Mikey's room, where his brother was most likely already immersed in his favorite manga comic book.

As Donnie passed through the main living room, Leo suddenly burst from the dojo. "Sensei said we could go!" he said excitedly to Raph, who was waiting near the turnstiles.

"Awesome!" responded Raph enthusiastically. "I found this perfect training spot I have to show you. It has all these huge pipes to climb on, and a massive waterfall into a swirling drain."

"Cool!" said Leo, excited by the prospect of such a daring training ground. "Let's go!"

As the two turned to leave, Donnie called out to them, "Hey, wait! I want to go, too!" Donnie loved discovering new places. He was currently working on a detailed map of the sewer system, which he added to every time they went exploring. And besides, Raph's new location sounded like a lot of fun.

"I don't think so, Donnie," Leo said hesitatingly as Donnie came near them. "It sounds too dangerous."

"Yeah, Donnie," sneered Raph. " _Real_ ninjas only."

Donnie's jaw dropped as Raph's hurtful statement hit home. He wanted to scream, "I _am_ a real ninja!" but couldn't find his voice. And part of him wasn't sure he believed it anyway.

"We just don't want you to get hurt," Leo said consolingly, trying to smooth over Raph's cutting remark by pretending to be concerned for Donatello's safety. This only made it worse. As his brothers turned to go, Donnie snapped his mouth shut, still unable to say anything through the lump of frustration in his throat.

"We'll be back before dinner," Leo said by way of good-bye.

"Yeah, have fun with your star book!" laughed Raph as they disappeared down the tunnel.

As soon as they were gone, Donnie made a beeline for his lab, slamming and locking the doors behind him. Scrubbing at the angry tears forming in his eyes, he threw his astronomy book on his desk, the subject having suddenly lost all appeal. Dejectedly, he flopped onto his swivel chair and dropped his head onto his arms on the desk.

Glancing to his left, he noticed the list he had made earlier of the materials he would need in order to create a copy of Galileo's telescope. He had been planning on asking Master Splinter to search for the items the next time he went to the dump for a supply run. With a frustrated exhale, Donnie picked up the paper.

 _Why on earth would you want to make a telescope? You can't see stars in the sewers, Donnie._

Angrily, the purple clad ninja crushed the paper in his fists and threw it into the wastebasket. Maybe Raph was right. Who cared if stars were fascinating if he was never going to see them, anyway? He looked at his bookshelf, stuffed with all the volumes of information Sensei had been able to salvage for him. His precious collection of water-logged, tattered textbooks and encyclopedias were chock full of interesting facts about the planet, the universe, biology, chemistry, physics, history, and every other subject his hungry young mind had devoured. He loved studying these things, but what was the point in learning so much about a world he could never be a part of? The people of the surface would never accept him, so why should he spend so much time studying their discoveries? Such pursuits only seemed to alienate him from his brothers, the only people whose acceptance he could ever hope to gain.

With a determined frown, Donnie pulled a large box over to his bookshelf and dumped all his books into it. Then he dragged an empty crate over to his work table and began clearing the space of all his works in progress - the pieces of the laptop he was trying to construct, along with all his tools, scrap metal and other materials. Shoving the crate unceremoniously into the far corner, he dumped his chemistry set on top of it and, picking up his box of books, he left the lab.

The lair was still echoing with the muffled sounds of Mikey's music as he traipsed through the empty common area toward his bedroom. Once there, he shoved the box containing all his beloved sources of information deep under his bed, out of sight. From now on, he would focus on one thing and one thing only. Ninjutsu. It was the only thing that was important to everyone in his family. He would show them he could be good at it, too.

At first the young ninja considered going to the dojo to practice, but the thought of the ridicule he would endure if anyone walked in on him there, changed his mind. Rolling up his bedroom rug and grabbing a practice bo, Donatello headed back to the safety of his lab, where his reputation for desiring privacy, coupled with the lock on the door, would ensure he could practice without being disturbed.

xxxxx

Later that evening, after dinner, Donatello crept quietly to Leonardo's bedroom and knocked softly on the door. His brother's voice answered with a friendly "Come in!" and Donnie entered.

Leo was lying on his bed, reading a Space Heroes comic book. He looked up at his brother with a smile. "Hey, Donnie, what's up?"

"Could I borrow a few of your books to read?" Donnie asked.

"My books?" Leo looked surprised and a bit apprehensive as he glanced toward his bookshelf. "Don't you have plenty of your own books?"

"Yeah, but I've read all of mine already." This wasn't a lie, but it also wasn't the real reason Donnie wanted to borrow Leo's books.

"I suppose so," conceded Leo. "As long as you take care of them."

"I will." Donnie stepped over to Leo's makeshift bookcase, pieced together from cinder blocks and broken boards. Besides his secondhand sci-fi comic books, Leo also owned a set of Japanese ninjutsu books which he had inherited from Splinter, a relic of his life before his mutation.

Donnie ran a finger along the leather spines, purusing the titles printed in gold kanji. Unlike Donatello's collection of torn and damaged cast-off books, rescued from heaps of unwanted refuse, these volumes were in prestine condition. Not that they were new. Quite the contrary. Donnie remembered Splinter mentioning something about them having belonged to his grandfather. But they had been lovingly cared for by those who held great respect for their contents.

As Donnie selected a few titles from the shelf, Leo admonished him. "Make sure you don't dog-ear the pages."

"I won't," Donnie assured him, as he stood to leave, Leo's beloved books in his arms.

"And don't lay them open face-down, or the the spines will crack."

"I know, Leo! Geez, I'm not Mikey. I know how to take care of books."

"Okay, and Donnie?"

Donnie was already at the door, but he turned to look at his brother and noticed a repentent expression flash across his face. "Yeah?"

"About what happened earlier today. . . " Leo faltered and looked unsure of what to say. Donnie wondered if he was trying to decide whether to apologize, but he wasn't really in the mood to talk about this right now.

"Forget it, Leo. It doesn't matter."

Leo looked partly relieved that he had been spared an apology, and partly unconvinced that it really didn't matter to Donnie, but before he could decide whether to pursue the subject, Donnie was gone.

Back in his lab, Donatello settled himself in his chair, opened one of the borrowed books, and began to read. If he was going to be serious about making ninjutsu the focus of his life, he was going to learn everything he could about it, from its history to its techniques. Before anything else, though, he searched through the books until he found the diagrams of the kata Splinter had been teaching them that morning. Sensei wouldn't let him practice this kata during their morning training sessions, but Donatello determined that he would learn it in secret and practice until he could execute it perfectly. Then, when Splinter finally called on him to perform the kata during training, he would surprise them all by doing it as well as Mikey did his first try. The young turtle smiled to himself as he thought of the "Well done, Donatello" that was sure to be his reward. He even pictured expressions of surprised admiration on his brothers' faces. Yes, it would definitely be worth it.

xxxxx

So Donatello fell into a new routine. In the morning, he would put his all into training with Master Splinter, performing whichever katas he was required to, and losing his sparring matches with his brothers. Then after lunch he would lock himself in his lab for several hours, practicing the new kata he was determined to learn, and reading Leo's ninjutsu books when his body became too tired to continue.

His family did not at first notice anything unusal in this behavior, for Donnie was known to spend hours at a time in his lab while working on a project, and no one was aware that he had turned the space into his own makeshift dojo.

On the third day of his new regime, Donnie came slowly out of his lab around six o'clock, trying not to let his brothers see how exhausted he was. The three of them were huddled around the Super Robo X arcade game as Mikey attempted to beat his current high score.

"Hey, guys," Donnie greeted them. "Is it dinner time yet? I'm starving."

Mikey's hands froze on the controls, and the three turtles turned to stare at their brother as the digital character expired, unheeded, behind them.

Raph was the first to speak. "Um, did Donnie just willingly ask for food?"

"Yup," answered Mikey, in an apparent state of shock. "I think he did."

Donnie rolled his eyes at his brother's exaggerated reactions. "Come on, guys, stop looking at me like that! I'm just hungry." He turned and led the way to the kitchen, leaving his surprised brothers behind.

They had never seen Donatello choose to eat of his own accord without a great amount of coaxing from Splinter. The boy hated the algae and worms they ate for every meal, so eating, for him, had never been a source of enjoyment, but rather an unpleasant necessity of survival.

Tonight, however, Donnie's hunger was clearly strong enough to overcome the revolting flavor, for he filled his plate high and began quickly shoveling the food into his mouth.

"Geez, Donnie," exclaimed Raph. "Slow down. You're eating like Mikey."

"Yeah," added Mikey through a mouthful of food. "Who are you and what have you done with my picky brother?"

"Maybe he's going through another growth spurt," suggested Leo.

Donnie looked up at this, and quickly swallowed his mouthful of worms with a shudder. He despised the way their slimy bodies popped when he bit into them, spilling their nasty guts onto his tongue, and he had long since learned to avoid chewing. He knew his sudden ravenous appetite was due to the increase in physical activity, but he wasn't ready to share this information with his brothers yet. So he responded to Leo's suggestion with a mere "I hope not."

"Aw man, that's not fair!" cried Mikey. "I want to have a growth spurt! I'm sick of being the smallest." And he began filling his plate with a large second helping, as though double portions would help him achieve his desired height then and there.

Having finished, Donatello rose from the table. "Thanks for the meal, Sensei," he said politely as he dumped his plate in the sink. "I need to get back to my lab. I'm in the middle of working on . . . something."

"What are you working on?" asked Leo, but Donnie was already gone, out the door before he could hear the genuine interest in his brother's voice.

xxxxx

Two nights later, Mikey dove into the pit, his arms full of pillows and blankets, and landed in front of the TV, where Raph and Leo were waiting for him.

"Oh _yeah_! Movie night, bros!" he cried with excitement as Leo turned on the VCR.

"Hey, Donnie!" Raph called as his purple banded brother emerged from the bathroom, fresh from a shower. "Come on, the movie's about to start!"

"Yeah!" piped up Mikey. "Sensei found us a new one today!"

"Uh, that sounds like fun, guys," answered Donnie slowly, "but honestly, I think I'm just going to head to bed."

"What?" cried Raph. "It's only, like, eight o'clock!"

"Yeah, I'm just really tired." The genius turtle certainly did look exhausted, but it wasn't like any of them to skip movie night.

"Come on, Donnie, join us," coaxed Leo. "I think this movie is about a scientist." He held up the stained cover where Donnie could make out a guy in a lab coat with a glob of green goo.

"Yeah, and it has a fun name!" added Mikey enthusiastically, grabbing the cover from Leo's hands. "'Flubber!' That's fun to say!"

"Sorry, guys, but I'm too tired tonight. You guys have fun."

His three brothers watched him walk slowly to his room, as Mikey continued to repeat the tickly new word to himself. "Flubber. Flubber. Flubber." Then with a shrug, they all turned their attention to the entertainment at hand.

xxxxx

Raise the left arm. Slide the right foot forward. Kick with the left. Swing around. Block with the right arm.

Alone in his lab, Donatello focused intently on each move as he traversed across the rug. He had been at it for nearly a week now, and his practicing was paying off. After falling on his shell more times than he cared to count, the purple banded turtle had at last almost mastered the new kata Master Splinter had taught his brothers earlier in the week. He knew it wouldn't be long before his Sensei called on him to learn it, and then he would have his chance to show them how well he could do it.

Donnie finished the series of moves with a perfect kick, landing with a swelling feeling of satisfaction. As he got back into position to begin again for the twentieth time that afternoon, a loud banging on the locked door interrupted him.

"Hey, Brainiac! The pinball machine is broken again!" It was Raph, and he sounded annoyed.

Donnie glanced over at the crate where he had stashed his tools and for a brief moment was tempted to resurrect them and work on something other than katas for a change. But then he shook his head and drawing on his determination, called out loudly, "Fix it yourself! I'm busy!"

"With _what_?" The annoyed reply was shouted through the steel door, then the sound of Raph forcefully jiggling the handle. "Why's the door locked? Come on, Donnie! What are you doing in there?"

Donnie failed to come up with an answer that would be sure to turn Raph away, and ended up calling back lamely, "Nothing! Just. . . stuff."

Thankfully, Raph's short attention span overcame his curiosity. "Fine! You know what? I don't really care. Just fix the pinball machine, will ya?"

"Alright!" Donnie called back, though he actually had no intention of doing so. He waited until Raph's footsteps died away, and then got back into position. Left arm up. Right foot forward. Kick with the left. . .

xxxxx

"Donatello, stay a moment."

Donnie paused mid-step on his way out of the dojo after morning training. His brothers gave each other meaningful Donnie's-in-trouble glances and scurried out of the room. Donnie approached Splinter slowly. What did his father want? Had he found out about his secret training? Did he disapprove?

Splinter chuckled at the apprehension on his young son's face. "Do not worry, my son, you have done nothing wrong."

Donatello visibly relaxed as he was led into his father's room. He waited patiently as Splinter rummaged around in a large sack he used when scavenging. At last he withdrew a large, thick book.

"I found this last night while on a supply run, and I thought it might interest you." He placed the book in Donatello's eager hands.

It was a computer engineering textbook. What's more, it was _university level_! Surely this book would hold the answers to the problems Donnie was having in building his computer. Gently, the young turtle turned it over in his hands. Both covers were intact. None of the pages appeared to be torn or missing. Opening to the first page, Donnie glanced at the copyright date. Printed in 2001. This was considerably more up-to-date than any other volume he had on the subject. With a genuine grin, the young genius looked up at his father.

"Thank you, Sensei!"

"You are welcome, my son," Splinter smiled at him. "Now I will not keep you longer. You may go read your new book."

Donatello bowed respectfully and rushed through the dojo, past his eavesdropping brothers, and into his own room. There he paused, conflict rising within him. He stared down at the book in his hands, wanting nothing more than to open it and read it through, cover to cover, before breaking out his toolbox and using his new knowledge to finish his laptop. But if he got caught up in that project, he wouldn't have time for his extra training. He would never learn to perform that new kata as well as his brothers, and his father would always be disappointed in him.

With a frustrated sigh of determination, Donatello pulled the box of books out from under his bed, threw the new one on top of the pile, and kicked the box back out of sight. Then, reaching over to his bedside table, he picked up Leo's ninjutsu book instead, and making himself comfortable on his bed, cracked open the book. As his eyes wandered over the words on the page, his mind kept sneaking under the bed to the computer textbook taunting him there.

After an hour of struggling to force his mind into the world of ninjutsu, Donnie sighed again and stood up, deciding that his lab would be a better atmosphere for concentration.

xxxxx

* Slap *

"Oh _yeah_! Double Jacks in that pile, bro!" crowed Mikey in delight as he gathered up the pile of cards. He, Raph, and Leo were sitting on the floor of the pit, playing a game of Slaps. Raph was growing increasingly grumpy as more and more of his own stack of cards ended up in the pile of the quick-handed Michelangelo.

As Mikey was about to lay a card to start the next round, Donnie came into view, treading the well-worn path to his lab. He was apparently finding his way through sheer force of habit, for his eyes never left the book in front of his face.

"Donnie, want to join us?" called Leo.

Donatello stopped and looked up from his book in a distracted manner. As his eyes fell on his brothers and the card game in front of them, he shook his head. "No thanks, Leo. I'm kind of busy right now."

"Aw, come on!" pleaded Mikey. "It's more fun when you play. You're the only one who can sometimes beat me!"

A flicker of something like indignation flashed in Donnie's eyes. He knew he could more than _sometimes_ beat Mikey. But a glance at his book and the flicker died. "Sorry, guys. I have too much to do." The lab doors closed behind him with a clang.

"Okay, guys, what's been up with Donnie lately?" Leo asked, his voice full of big brother concern. "He's not been acting like himself."

"What do ya mean?" argued Raph. "The geek had his nose in a book. That's normal for him."

"Yeah, but did you see what he was reading?" The blank look on his brothers' faces told Leo they hadn't noticed. "He was reading one of my ninjutsu books. He came to borrow them last week and I haven't seen him read anything else since. Sensei even brought him that new book this morning, which is probably something sciency, and he's still choosing to read about ninjutsu instead."

"Yeah, that's not like him," Raph admitted.

"He's been in his lab every day, but he hasn't come out and showed us a new invention he's working on, or told us some cool sciency stuff in a long time," added Mikey. "Not since the day we talked about the stars."

"And he still hasn't fixed the pinball machine," put in Raph, glancing at the apparatus that had been standing untouched for a few days now.

"What do you think is up with him?" Leo asked again.

"I don't know," said Mikey despondently, "but I don't like this new Donnie. I liked the old one who would play cards with us and complain about his food and join us for movie night."

Leo nodded and glanced at the lab doors. Maybe he should intervene.

"Don't bother, Leo," said Raph, laying a card. "I tried to talk to him the other day, but he wouldn't come out. If the dork wants to be left alone, I say let him be. When he wants us to hear about his project, believe me, we'll hear about it."

Conceding Raph's point, Leo turned back to the game in time to see Mikey slap another double.

"You snooze you lose, bro," taunted Mikey as he once more gathered up the cards.

xxxxx

Tense with concentration, Donatello's toes gripped the carpet beneath him. He could feel the eyes of his father and brothers on him, watching intently. His moment had come. At last Master Splinter had deemed him ready to attempt the kata he had been practicing in secret. Glancing once at his father, Donnie imagined the words of approval he would receive after his performance. Drawing a deep breath, he began the series of moves his body had grown so accustomed to.

Raise the left arm. Slide the right foot forward. Kick with the left. His motions were smooth and fluid, his strikes forceful and accurate. Swing around. Block with the right arm. His speed was quick and his timing perfect. Keeping his eyes fixed straight ahead, he didn't dare look at his father or brothers until he completed the forms. He knew he was doing well. He was nearing the end now, the complicated bit with the difficult kicks. He knew these moves. He had done them hundreds of times. He was going to succeed. Then an unexpected snag in the rug, coupled with Donnie's oversized, clumsy feet, landed him in an all too familiar position on his shell, staring dumbfounded at the ceiling.

For a few seconds, his brain refused to accept what had happened. This was not how he had imagined this moment! But the muffled sounds of Leo trying to hide his laughter behind his hand, followed by the undisguised guffaw of Raphael, forced Donnie to face the reality of the situation.

Slowly, he picked himself up, the heat rising to his face in flushed embarrassment. This was supposed to be his moment! His chance to prove that he was a real ninja, and to earn the approval of his father. And he had fallen on his shell, like he _always_ did, and now everything was ruined!

The young ninja couldn't bring himself to look at his sensei, but he spared one quick glance at his brothers, sitting in a row watching him. Raphael was openly smirking, while Leonardo attempted to hide his mirth behind a solemn mask of stoicism. Mikey's expression held surprise, and - was that pity? Donatello couldn't bear it. Without waiting for dismissal, he fled the scene.

Splinter stood somewhat stunned for a moment after his purple banded son ran out of the dojo. Despite his fall, Donatello had performed remarkably well, certainly better than he had expected him to. Why then, had he rushed away, as if in shame? Well, part of the reason was obvious, and Splinter shot a silencing glare toward the mocking laughter of his insensitive oldest sons. Then, instructing his three remaining boys to practice a while without him, he left in search of Donatello.

Splinter went first to the room that had been designated as his genius son's lab. This was the most likely place to discover the boy. However, one glance around that room showed the rat master that it was unoccupied. He was about to turn and search elsewhere when he noticed something unusual about the place. Stepping inside, he saw that all of Donatello's tools and scientific equipment were no longer scattered over his desk and work table, and his bookshelf was void of his beloved textbooks. Instead Splinter noted a neat stack of his grandfather's ninjutsu books sitting within easy reach on the desk, as well as the rug on the floor which had previously furnished Donatello's bedroom. Further inspection unearthed the crate full of the boy's unfinished projects and equipment.

Splinter solemnly took in all these changes. The situation was quickly becoming clear to him. Donatello had been practicing the new kata on his own. The rat thought back to the day he had first introduced it and wondered if he had been unfair to single Donatello out as being unready to attempt it.

Quickly, Splinter left the lab and headed for Donatello's room. When he encountered the closed door, he knocked softly.

"Donatello, may I come in?"

There was a pause, then a trembling "Hai, Sensei."

Upon entering the room, Splinter found his young son sitting on his bed, his arms wrapped around his legs in a posture of self comfort. The face he raised to his father was dry, but the eyes that didn't quite meet his own were red-rimmed, a clear sign that the turtle had been crying and was trying not to let his father know.

Splinter sat down on the bed beside him as he considered how to approach the subject. Donnie waited silently for his father to begin.

"How long have you been practicing that kata on your own?" asked Splinter at last, keeping his voice warm and encouraging.

Donatello's face crumpled unexpectedly with surprise and a hint of shame. "You knew about that?"

"No, not until today. I ask because your forms were clearly well practiced."

The disappointment on the young turtle's face was readily apparent, and Splinter was taken aback. He had meant that to be a compliment.

Donatello sniffed. "You didn't say that when Mikey did it perfectly the first time _he_ tried."

So that was it. Understanding dawned in Splinter's mind as he realized his son had been hoping that he, Splinter, would think it was his first time trying, and thus prove he was as good as Michelangelo. His heart went out to his brilliant son, and he decided to try approaching the subject from a different angle.

"Donatello, why did you put away all of your tools and your science books?"

Donatello rested his chin on his knees despondently. "Because I'm not going to be a scientist anymore."

"Why not?"

"Science doesn't matter." Another sniff as the boy choked out the words.

"My son," Splinter said gently, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You do not believe that."

"Everyone else in the family does," came the flat reply. "No one cares about science. Ninjutsu is the only thing important in this family, so I'm not going to be a scientist, I'm going to be a ninja."

"You are already a ninja, my son," said Splinter.

"Not a good enough one. I need to be better, like Leo." He didn't add "to really be part of this family", but Splinter caught the implication and he wondered sadly how his son could have to come this erroneous conclusion.

"Do you know why I teach you boys ninjutsu?" asked Splinter.

"Because we are Hamatos, and the Hamato family has an enduring legacy in ninjutsu, going back a hundred generations. It is an honor to carry on that tradition by mastering the noble art."

Splinter was somewhat surprised to hear his own words repeated back to him, almost verbatim. He had, indeed, given his boys that speech several times in order to encourage their pride in their family legacy and give them a sense of being a part of something bigger than themselves. He hadn't counted on the negative consequences of tying their family identity so closely to ninjutsu.

"Yes," Splinter said, slowly, "but that is only part of the reason. The most important reason I teach you to fight is that someday you will go out into the world above, a world which you will find unwelcoming and even hostile to your very existence. I want to rest assured that you will be capable of defending yourselves. I want to know that when you leave this lair, that you will all return safely. I teach you ninjutsu, not because I want my home to be filled with ninja, but because I want it to be filled with my sons." He gave Donatello a warm but pointed look. "All of them."

Placing a finger beneath the young turtle's chin, he lifted his face to look into his own. "My son, making ninjutsu your life focus is a noble pursuit, and if this is what you truly love, by all means, continue on this path. But science and mechanics are also noble pursuits. Do not abandon them simply because your brothers do not appreciate them as you do. Remember, I already have one Leonardo. What I need is my Donatello."

A small smile broke the turtle's face and he leaned suddenly into his father's warm embrace.

xxxxx

A few weeks later, Donnie was hard at work in his restored lab. The ninjutsu books had found their way back to the place of honor on top of Leo's bookshelf, the rug was gone, and the desk and work table were once more an organized mess of half finished projects. The budding mechanic sat at his work table, screwdriver in hand, fitting together the last few pieces of his homemade laptop, glancing every now then at a reference diagram in his computer engineering textbook which was open in front of him.

Donnie looked up from his work suddenly as the door burst open and Mikey came walking cheerfully in, holding his box of broken crayons and colored pencil stubs.

"Hey, D!" he called. "You got any paper I could use? I'm all out again."

"Sure, Mikey. I think there's a few blank sheets left at the back of that notebook." He gestured toward his desk.

Mikey plopped himself down in the swivel chair and picked up the well-worn My Little Pony notebook that was sitting on the desktop. According to the numerous doodles gracing the cover, it had once belonged to a girl called Kimberly who apparently was in love with someone called Nick. Or so said the sparkly gel pens. Mikey flipped through it until he found a few precious pages near the back that were not covered in writing, and set to work with his crayons, humming a tune as he drew.

Donnie gave his brother a sideways glance, and without stopping the motion of his screwdriver, commented, "I thought you were going exploring in the sewers with Raph and Leo."

"Nah, I'd rather hang out with you," answered Mikey.

"Why?"

Mikey looked up from his drawing. "Because you're cool, bro."

Donnie scoffed. He'd been called many things by his brothers, but 'cool' was not one of them. "I'm not cool, Mikey. I'm a nerd, remember?"

"So? You make cool stuff. And you're the only one who laughs at my jokes."

This was true. The two youngest turtles shared an appreciation for witty puns, and Mikey was particularly good at inventing them.

"What are you working on?" asked Mikey with real interest. "Oh, is it that star-a-scope thing you were talking about?"

"You mean the telescope?" corrected Donnie, as he picked up another piece and began screwing it on. "No. I don't have all the material for that yet."

"But you _are_ going to make it, right? Because you have to make me a turtle dot-to-dot in the sky. You promised."

Donnie raised an eye ridge. That was not the way he remembered that conversation going, but he couldn't help smiling at his little brother. "Sure Mikey, but right now I'm working on this laptop. And actually, I think it's done. Want to see if it works?"

"Yeah!" Always eager to test Donnie's new inventions, because if they worked it was cool, but if they blew up it was even cooler, Mikey leapt up from his seat and joined Donnie at the work table.

"Okay, here, plug this in." Donnie handed him a power cord, and once it was securely attached to the wall, Donnie opened his new laptop. The machine was a hodge podge of parts from vastly different computers, so many of the pieces had not fit properly inside the casing as they were supposed to. Donnie had worked around this, however, and had managed to screw many of the parts to the outside, wiring them to connect to the internal mechanism. It wasn't like any computer either of them had seen on TV, but in their eyes it was way cooler. With a flourish, Donnie pressed the power button and was rewarded with the pleasant beeps of the machine booting up.

"Yay! It works!" cried Mikey. Then after a few moments, added, "What's it do?"

Glancing over at Mikey's drawing and the limited quantity of clean paper, Donnie grinned. "If this works right, you'll be able to make as much art as you want and not have to worry about running out of paper."

" _Really_?" And Michelangelo's eyes shone as his brother introduced him to the wonders of the program called Paint.

A couple hours later, the two boys heard their older brothers returning from their exploration. Mikey dashed out of the lab, calling out, "Raph! Leo! You have to see what Donnie made! It's a _computer_ and it's super cool!"

Soon all the boys were huddled around Donnie's laptop as he showed them its various functions, and even Master Splinter came in, drawn by Mikey's outburst of excitement.

"Wow, you made a real computer, Donnie?" breathed Leo, clearly impressed.

Raph rolled his eyes. "Yay, the Brainiac's back." But the real smile on his face showed Donnie that the remark was only half sarcastic.

Master Splinter looked carefully from the computer textbook to all the bits and pieces of broken computers lying spread out on the worktable, to the completed, functioning laptop his boys were fawning over. With a look of genuine pride in his son's accomplishment, the rat said, "I am very impressed. To have successfully built a working computer at your age, especially from such damaged materials, is quite an achievement."

Donnie's heart glowed with happiness at his father's look of approval.

"Well done, Donatello."

FINIS


End file.
